


Stormy Night Lullabies

by MegaTronSackTap



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-04
Updated: 2019-02-10
Packaged: 2019-03-13 07:57:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13566204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MegaTronSackTap/pseuds/MegaTronSackTap
Summary: When a storm hits, an unlikely series of events begins to unravel. Expect long rambling sections at times as I can't help but to ramble.The rating is based on authors notes sections, and later chapters. I hope you can enjoy my first work and I look forward to lots of feedback! There will be more updates to this in the future, so if you're interested keep an eye out for updates~!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Greetings, and welcome to my first post! As an Inuyasha fan since childhood it seems it was only a matter of time until this sort of thing was sprawled out in text files... Anyway thanks for the interest in my post, I look forward to any comments you might like to share about it! Also, I apologize for the ramblings that may occur in the future chapters, as I'm a bit of a scatter brain. In my next update you will also be able to expect a bit of a shift in my author notes that for some may be grand, and for others may be cringe inducing! But until then enjoy!

A faint patter of footsteps rushes through the forest as a cool wind begins to grow. Misty fog rolls over the forest floor blanketing the frigid earth in thick vaporous wefts. Just out of sight a roaring mewl can be heard rising up to meet the tree line, as Kirara appears against the dampened sky line carrying a battle ready slayer, and Miroku the lecherous monk straddling close behind.

“Those clouds don’t look good... It’s gotten much darker since we left the village.” Sango’s concerned voice fell on Inuyasha’s focused ears as he leapt between distant treetops, as if they were nothing more than cracks of a wood floor.

“And cold too!” Shippo appeared from the long white tresses that raged over the hanyou’s neck and back. The kit’s fur was standing on end, as if he’d been shocked by the static that filled the air.

“I know he’s out there- I can smell his foul stench!” He snarled back at Shippo and pressed forward stubbornly.  
  
After a hefty battle just the day before, Inuyasha was already searching out the wounded Demon he’d nearly cut down. Evidently he wanted to finish the job, catching the scent on the wind assured him he was close enough to drive him on. His latest battle with the daiyokai he desperately loathed, had seemed to be fruitful, more so than ever before, and he was certain that their next battle would be their last. All that was left was to catch him before he could slink away to lick his wounds.

“Kagome!” Shippo cried out, leaping onto her shoulder to snuggle close to her for protection. She had been clinging tightly to Inuyasha’s red clad shoulders, being buffeted by the assault of wind breaking around him. Her hands were numb, and her body was sore from the journey. He’d been pulling them further and further from civilization for what felt like an eternity, never slowing or even slightly losing interest in the chase that only he was aware of.

“Inuyasha! Why is this so important to you? Isn’t it about time we give up on this already?!” Her voice was strained against the wind, but his ears flicked back when she called out.

“What- give up!? How could I give up when we’re so close?! This weather ain’t nothing to the likes of me!” He lunged forward breaking through the stray branches that hung in his way, somehow seeming like a strange attempt at displaying power.

“Well, you’re not the only one exposed to the elements you big idiot!” She Yanked on a handful of his hair and gritted her teeth resisting the urge to s-i-t him right there. She knew if she did, Shippo or herself might be injured.

Just as she did out of the corner of her eye she saw a familiar checkered yukata. A small girl clinging to a two headed beast, barely visible in the fog. Rin! She was equal parts relieved, and worried to see her. _She must be so cold and tired by now._ Kagome’s heart cried in concern for the tiny girl below, but sank when she realized the position she was in. If she told Inuyasha he’d never give up this chase, probably even pressuring her for her guardian’s whereabouts. Even if he didn’t, he’d tail the child until the daiyokai would have no choice but to reveal himself. Just as she thought this, a heavy wetness crashed against her cheek. The clouds above too heavy to bear the weight any longer, released a torrential downpour with little to no warning shots, or light showers to ease the transition. The thick droplets crashed against her skin like bullets as she tried to shelter herself against the hanyou’s back, to little avail. Through the pounding rain she could barely make out a mountainous expanse, the base of which opened to a rocky maw.

“Inuyasha! Look there- at least let us get shelter until the storm passes!” Her voice was barely legible over the sound of piercing winds and drowning rain.

Before he could reply, a loud crack split through the air as he narrowly avoided a bolt of lightning igniting the tree ahead of them. In an instant he was changing course and alerting Sango of the cave before it could disappear in the growing storm. Noticing the shift, Kagome let slip a brief sigh of relief, before scouring the landscape for the small girl. Her fear started to grow into panic as she could no longer see the ground below save for broken tree limbs being crashed down into a murky abyss. Determined and worried for Rin she focused all of her energy on finding the child. Not too far below she felt a fading warmth, almost as if what her eye’s couldn’t see, was made up for by something deep inside of her guiding her mind. _There!_ She knew it was Rin, it had to be. Growing further from the girls location, and closer to the cave’s mouth she felt an urgent need to touch the ground again.

Reaching the cave entrance she was let down, immediately dropping her supplies and setting Shippo beside it. Kirara shook water from her mane splattering her riders who didn’t seem too surprised by the action.

“Stay here for now if you have to, but I’ve got somethin’ needs doing!” He barked in a strange aggressive tone before full force crashing back against the howling wind and pouring rain.

“Inuyasha, don’t go! You cannot continue in this weather!” The monks attempt at calming the raging beast fell on deaf ears as he was disappearing into the storm.

“Kagome, you and Shippo stay here. We’ll make sure Inuyasha comes back safely.” Sango’s voice was serious, yet calming as she shared an understanding nod with the girl.  
As her group disappeared beyond a wall of falling water she turned to face a shivering fox boy. His eyes were soggy and he looked scared of the booming crash of thunder outside.

“Shippo listen to me. I need you to be brave for me now can you do that?” She knelt and held his cold hands firmly. He nodded and put on the bravest face he could muster before she started again. “I need you to search the cave for anything dry that we can use to build a fire. Don’t go far from the cave’s mouth, if you see or hear anything strange hide yourself until I return.” She reached into her bag and withdrew a thankfully dry match box.

“R-Return?! Where are you going?!” His brave face wavered as tears peaked at the corner of his eyes again.

“Listen to me Shippo, I’m going to show you how to use these matches. You can use them to start a fire if you strike the red tip against the course side of the box, like this.” She lit a match briefly illuminating the cave before it burned out leaving the darkness in its wake.

“I’ve seen you use them before, I know I can do that much! But-“ before he could protest Kagome was on her feet and heading into the rain with a stern look.

“Stay put Shippo, I know you can be a brave boy for me!” Her voice faded into the white noise outside.

“Kagome!” Shippo sniveled before stiffening his lip and clenching his tiny fist. “I can do this!” He quickly set to work in search of sticks and kindling.

Outside a tired girl pushed against the raging storm with sore legs, and her entire body shivering in the intense cold. She called out for Rin without hesitation, attempting to locate the child again. A barrage from the sky felt as though it was tearing through her being as she pressed on. _I know you’re out there Rin! I can feel it!_ She could sense something very faint ahead, but just as quickly as she noticed it, she lost it again. It was difficult to concentrate in these conditions, and she knew if she was shaken by the elements like this, Rin was surely doomed if she didn’t find her, and fast.

“Rin! Where are you!” She cried out in a panic as she spun around in circles trying to locate the girl.

Suddenly she turned to her right to feel a strong heavy pulse from within. _There!_ Without thinking she leaped forward in hopes of finding an orange, and yellow yukata holding a small child. But as she raced forward she felt the pulse leading her further. _Rin!_ She felt new strength as she ran on, chasing the pulse and never losing it for a second. It was strong and unwavering, nothing like the faded aura she’d sensed before. This was powerful, pulling her in, and directing her every movement. Although some part of her knew it may not be Rin’s aura, another part of her felt as though this was without a doubt the way to her. Her feet pounded against the rising water that rushed over the forest floor, creating slick streams of mud as it carved its own path through the clay.

“Rin!” There she was, only a few feet ahead lifelessly laid over the stone cold reptile she called Ah-Un. As she reached out to her she felt a faint pulse, which lit the fire in her belly anew. She had to do something, and fast.

Grabbing the reigns of the beastly demon she tried to force it to its feet again. Ah-Un was not built for cold climates and had simply fallen to the cold ground in hopes of conserving energy. She tugged hard, feeling the soreness in her muscles more than before as they stretched, and tore trying to move the creature. _Ah-Un please! I need a little help here!_ Just as she’d thought this she felt a great pulse, something terrible and foreboding, like a dangerous warning. Almost as though Ah-Un felt it too, they let out an awful noise, and leapt onto scaley feet, swaying towards their new guide. _Thank goodness!_ She pulled again shocked at how easily the beast now obeyed her.

“Oh no.. Now that I’ve found her I ended up losing the way back!” She turned around feeling panic as every direction appeared identical to the last. Just as her hope was waning into despair and panic she felt it again. The pulse that had shown her the way before, was now leading her again. _There! I can sense it!_ She gave a hard tug of the reigns, and ran in hopes that she could lead the beast without being trampled into the earth. It ran behind her in perfect time, making a sound akin to a donkey but much more hair raising, and gravelly. As she ran for dear life to keep up with the pulse she checked on Rin, still loosely draped over the worn saddle. When she turned to face its source again she could have sworn, for just a moment that she’d seen white heaps of fur bounding ahead just out of sight through the increasing tempest. She wasn’t sure if it was real, or a delusional vision of an utterly exhausted mind, but she thought she’d seen a great white tail of some unseen guide. _A forest spirit?_ She shook her head and blinked away the blinding water that assaulted her. Up ahead only meters away she saw it, a dim light casting through a heavy waterfall. Without a second thought she burst through it yanking A-Un to a full stop just beyond.

“Kagome!!” A frightened Shippo cried as he leapt backwards to defend himself from whatever monster was bursting into the small cavern. When he saw her there drenched, and shivering his fear melted into relief as he bounded towards her. “Ka-go-me~!” He called out, tears running down his face. “I was so scared!”

“Shippo.. You were very brave.” Her voice was raspy as her knees wobbled, threatening to give way beneath her.

Before she could relax she turned to Rin, and lifted the girl into her arms. The small child could not have weighed much but after what she’d been through tonight, lifting her frail body felt like the hardest thing the young lady had ever done. She carried her closer to the fire Shippo had prepared, with Ah-Un following close behind. She settled beside her yellow bag as she felt her legs crumple under her weight. Pressing the damp hair away from the child’s pail skin she felt her forehead in an attempt to assess her condition. She was cold and clammy to the touch, and her breath barely rolled from her body in shallow dying puffs.

“Shippo, look away. I need to get her out of these damp clothes.” She gave him a serious look, and tried her hardest not to seem as exhausted as she was.

“R-Right!” He spun on his heels, and covered his ears as if to be extra safe.

Kagome got to work searching her bag to find some towels, and the priestess garb Kaede had given her. She carefully padded Rin’s damp hair with a towel before replacing her soaked robe with the undershirt of her miko attire. Finally breathing a slow sigh she felt tension leave her body, that she hadn’t even noticed before. Too tired to stand she simply laid the child by the fire, and covered her in a soft fleece from the seemingly endless bag. Before she could fully relax, she reasoned with herself that she needed to care for herself now if she was going to be well enough to tend to Rin further. She begrudgingly pulled the soaking cloth away from her body, before tossing her, now see through shirt aside with a displeasing flop noise as it smacked against the ground. Kicking off her socks and shoes she flicked the clasp of her skirt free to shimmy loose of its grip. Sighing an agonizing sigh as she stood to discard her undergarments, and slip into her clean white top. Draping a fresh towel over her shoulders to prevent the slick wetness of her inky hair, from soaking her fresh clothes she pulled up the strangely comfortable hakama, and began to fasten off the fabric around her waist.

Just as her waistband had been cinched off she heard a sizable splash from behind, not unlike the sound of a body breaking the surface of a pond from a considerable height. As she turned in response to the sound, her blood went cold, and a new worry began to whittle away at her. Shippo had jumped to alert to see what the noise was as well, all of the rosy pink bleeding out of his features when he witnessed the demon before them. Tall and slender, his pale hair fell down around him like silk threads, and his deadly claws grasped at a motionless body, no bigger than the fox child’s own. His brow was stern, and furrowed, and his sharp golden eyes fixed on Kagome as she froze in her place. The air was still and silent, save for the sound of his trailing furs dragging across the cold stone floor. His eyes shifted to Rin’s unmoving body as he closed the distance, stopping uncomfortably close to the young woman’s left side. She noticed something in his gaze that flickered only for a moment, before it was replaced with an unreadable stoic stare. She knew the painful light that briefly danced in his eyes to be concern for his ward. A pang in her chest overpowered the fear that froze her to the spot. Rin was like his child, and even Sesshomaru must feel some shred of paternal worry for her now.

“She’s very cold.. And the elements had a grip on her for a while there.. But I think she’ll recover with some warmth, and much needed care.” Although she expected her voice to waver, aside from the slight hesitation, it came across cool and soothing as it broke the silence.

She wasn’t sure if he’d not heard her, or simply wasn’t interested in whatever she had to say, as he remained silently staring at Rin’s tiny pale face. He looked almost as though he’d wanted to reach out and touch her, but did not.

“Miko.” His eyes flicked to stare at her own, far too close for comfort, with a cold sharp feel to them. His features were unreadable yet still dangerous and intimidating.

“Ah- Yes?” She stammered shocked at his sudden vocalization.

“You will be held personally responsible if this one should die.” His voice was hollow, and threatened a low rasping growl throughout. It shook her to the bone, more chilling than her escapades in the rain had been. Without thinking she swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat, and mustered a response.

“I understand.” After this reply she held the gaze he had locked onto her eyes for some time before something told her to _look away_. The frightening gaze felt as though she was a prey animal caught in the path of a much larger predator.

As she looked away from his eyes, his gaze slipped away and he stood again to toss his unconscious minion Jaken aside. He’d carried him in from the rain, and some part of Kagome wondered why he was not with Rin. Shippo bounded to hide in her lap, and shiver in fear, unfazed by this she began to sooth his puffed out tail, and comfort him. As his bristling hackles began to settle down into a somewhat less frightened fox kit, she nestled him closer to Rin, and the large sleeping Ah-Un that curled around her right side to absorb the fires heat. Not wasting much time she scrambled to her feet again to collect the discarded fabric that had been mounded against the freezing ground. Shuffling across the floor in her long hakama, she spread the damp clothes beside the fire to dry. Her hands rose up to grasp at her towel, and attempt to dry her waterlogged hair. Her scalp throbbed from the cold dead weight of it all, and the gentle massaging of her fingers through the towel was incredibly stimulating, as it soothed away her growing migraine. She let out a long slow sigh nearly forgetting the deadly killer still somewhere in the room.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm working away at this steadily so far and I hope I'll be able to post somewhat regularly throughout this story. As I'm still learning how to write a smooth ongoing story, I'm reminded that it's like building a craft. On a side note, I had a thought while I was writing this section in regards to Kagomes eyes, and the fandom. I was wondering if the divide in preferred eye color was based one where we first came into the fandom? Like maybe those who'd read the manga first would say blue, or if those who saw the anime first would say brown. I also wondered if this was a hot button topic or just a frivolous thought of mine, does anyone know?
> 
> Now, as a warning, my writing can get erratic... But I chose to include something a bit strange for those S&M's like myself out there. Sometimes I'm unable to stop myself from writing entire sections that have no place what so ever in the final product, but I just can't bring myself to erase hours of work. So, for those like me out there who cannot contain the curiosity and over excitement that comes with a slow burn... I've added a little feature of sorts. When you see in the text a que like this [***] it means that there is an alternative scene that fits in this space but was simply too horrible to make it into the true work. That being said, at the bottom of the page you will find the symbol again along with the accompanying scene. Now if you're like me and can't wait to see the alternate scene once you stumble onto the symbol, may I suggest using the "Ctrl F" function and typing in [***] to easily jump back and forth between the sections with less scrolling to do! 
> 
> P.S. So sorry for formatting issues, I'm still learning the site and I'm not 100% on how to port over my italicized sections, so some of the internal dialogue and inflections are lost in these last two posts.... T^T
> 
> Edit: I did come back in, and do some more editing on punctuation, and grammar in these last two chapters... Also italicization, yay!

The Western Lord sat by the entrance, seemingly guarding from any attack that may come by. His eyes followed the miko as she shuffled to and fro, like a strange mock of a house wife working at the laundry. He would admit that he was surprised to find her still willing to move around after her exposure. He had expected her to be in a condition much like Rin was; utterly spent, and huddled on the floor from exhaustion. Despite her frail body she still managed to reign in Ah-Un, and tend to the weak before considering her own discomfort. Her thin fingers looked bruised, and painful as they worked away at her raven hair. Thick, black strands poured over her white robes, leaving wet streaks where peach could be seen bleeding through in their wake. Although he’d allowed time for the girl to dress, he’d returned to see her bare flesh through the curtain of rain, however to this fact he would never admit. He told himself it did nothing for him to see this human girl so indecent, and that was how it would stay. Seeing her flesh so easily through her robes only frustrated him in the sense that she was too foolish to wear proper undergarments. Although, he would admit it was a marked improvement over her typical attire. He followed her movements as her hands smoothly fell through her flowing locks. When she looked up in surprise to see his gaze, he turned a cold shoulder to her, and opted to stare into the pouring rain instead. The soft shuffle of fabric fell on his sensitive ears as it approached in slow cautious strides. He could smell her light, almost floral scent, in the cool stillness of the expanse.

“Sesshomaru?” She signaled, creeping closer than such a weak creature probably ought, to a deadly predator.

She had almost forgotten that he sat only a short distance away from the group, and of how soaked to the bone he must be. His silken hair lay damp over his shoulders, his haori clinging to him, and hinting at the musculature beneath was an unfamiliar sight. He didn’t shiver or shake from the cold, but she reasoned with herself that he was probably too proud, or too disciplined to show that kind of weakness. If he was anything like his half-brother, he was probably cold, and tired by now.

“You should try to dry off before you catch a cold.” She reached out toward him, apparently too close for his liking, as he snatched her hand from the air and stared at it bitterly. It frightened her only for a moment, but could not shake her stubborn concern.

She’d brought him a fresh towel to dry his hair of its wetness, with all the good intentions of a miko. He stared at the towel, in what she could only assume was disgust before shifting his eyes to meet hers.

“You’re wasting your time miko. I won’t fall ill from such a thing.” He swatted her hand away, and turned again to the falling rain ignoring her presence. Feeling a heat of anger she couldn’t help but react in the only way she knew how.

“Well mister, I’m not buying it! Why won’t you just let someone help you for once?” She huffed, and felt her temper, steady and true as it burned her ears. _What a jerk!_ He let out a sound that could easily be mistaken for a chuckle.

“Girl, you think yourself worthy of helping me? How ridiculous.” His words were course but something about them almost sounded amused to her ears.

She couldn’t shake the concerned feeling that he must be cold so far from the fire, or that he might be falsifying just how tired he really was. She certainly wasn’t able to sleep, with something so menacing lurking over her shoulder, and now she couldn't sleep at the thought of him catching his death in the night. It was decided the moment she made the journey to him that she wouldn’t rest until she had helped him. She saddled up beside him, and leaned forward with a stubborn stare.

“Well, like it or not, I can’t rest until I know you’re alright, and if I don’t rest I won’t have the strength to tend to Rin, and if that happens-“

“Miko, I tire of your ramblings. If you must help this one, do it in silence.” Her voice was beginning to annoy him, to the point where he’d just as soon kill her as accept her delusional requests, if only to silence her racket.

She paused in confusion, unsure of whether that was an acceptance of her help, or simply a request for solitude. Still she knew which answer she’d prefer, and wasn’t going to wait around for him to change his mind. She reached forward the towel again stopping beside his shoulder, somehow surprised she’d gotten this far without another assault.

“Either way…” She whispered under her breath assuming he wouldn’t hear such a quiet murmur. She took a deep breath, and braced herself for his reaction if she’d assumed incorrectly. “We need to dry your hair at least...” This time her voice just slightly louder, in hopes to prepare him for the unpleasant task ahead. She moved slowly, with all the caution one might take with a feral dog.

He was annoyed at her intrusion, displeased with her assumption that she was even remotely his equal, yet not enough to lash out at her for the time being. It was true that she had cared for Rin, although it confused him that she would exert so much energy with no thoughts of gain. What could have been gained from braving a storm to save the child of your enemy, what could be gained from weakening oneself to the degree of exhaustion only to trust the very same enemy not to end your life while you sleep? No alliance was necessary, the miko’s group was strong enough on their own, at times frustratingly so; therefore what would be the point of this exchange. He did not stop her as she reached for him, knowing she could do nothing that could damage him, and even had she tried, he would simply kill her without another thought. Her scent wafted towards him, soft, and light, like delicate spring flowers. Behind that he could smell a familiar scent, something more bitter to the senses. From previous battles against the miko’s pack, he knew it to be her fear, rather, in this case it was not so sour. He assumed that it was likely her apprehension, rather than terror. When her finger tips finally reached his scalp his eyes flicked to watch her, although his face remained set towards the falling rain. She stalled at this, likely afraid for her life, if he wasn’t so ready to lunge out at any sign of foul play, he might have found it amusing.

He’s watching me. Kagome shivered at the cold creeping in from the wild winds just outside, held somewhat at bay by the sheet of water gushing over the mountain side. He’s not moving. An uneasy feeling in her stomach was only faintly overtaken by determination. Moving her fingers again, she let them slide down the cascading strands until she felt it separate from his crown, as she did so, she gently swept a weft of long silver threads into her hands, gathering it towards herself to dry with the towel. With no signs of aggression from him, she continued smoothing her fingers through as she padded each strand of platinum. While doing so, the back of her hand grazed his cumbersome armored shoulder, to find that the spikes there were much sharper than anticipated. One of her knuckles had begun to bleed from the encounter, and before she could react to the pain, she quickly withdrew her hand in an attempt to save his haori from staining.

The daiyokai’s eyes glanced to her fragile human fingers, and the deep red waters that prickled to the surface. Taking a long slow drag of the scent into his nose, he closed his eyes to isolate the fragrance. It was clean, like crisp air after a storm, entwined with a pure copper tint. He opened his eyes to see her suckling the wound, and scanning his shoulder. Realizing that she’d been looking for residue, he let out a single breathy chuckle. A sound that sent a shiver of fear down her spine, causing her to lean away.

“Hn. You have been injured, yet you worry for this one’s attire more than your own flesh.” His tone was certainly saturated in sadistic amusement this time around. _Curious human_. _So concerned with others comfort, and wellbeing that she fails to care for herself, or even notice the danger she finds herself in_.

Catching his somewhat playful tone, as sadistic as it may be, Kagome relaxed to lean forward once again. He wasn’t telling her to stop, or at her throat, so she took it to mean she hadn’t been in any trouble thus far. Continuing from here it seemed futile to dry his long hair if only to have it fall against damp clothing, not to mention the protruding armor was more than likely to be a continuous hassle. _We’ll have to take them off then_. It seemed only logical. When your clothes get wet, you hang them up to dry.

His eyes shifted to hers, which made her feel oddly uncomfortable with the line of thought. Almost as if he may have been privy to a private contemplation, which would probably make his stomach curl. To think a human would outright suggest he strip down, he’d probably kill her right then and there for something so stupid.

 _Interesting… She is not lacking in boldness_. He’d been both amused by her behavior, and now oddly felt some semblance of respect for her bravery. Hearing her mutter to herself about an attempt to strip him of his layers, and what might come of it was oddly satisfying, if only serving to inflate his ego. Clearly the girl was a babbling fool with no idea where her thoughts ended, and her prattle began, yet the facts remained. Whether she had said them aloud or thought them in private, her intentions were the same. Part of him thought to rip her to pieces as punishment for her impudence, yet another reasoned that it could serve to be amusing to allow her onward.

He half anticipated her to begin fidgeting at him in vain attempts to disrobe his lordship, but when she did not he felt oddly dissatisfied. She merely stared at the bindings of his armor as if to will them loose with her mind. Time passed as he decided she would not continue, nor would she seem to leave him be until something changed, whether through his interference, or her delusions of telekinesis. His right hand began to rise to his bindings to release the weighted armor that wrapped his chest and shoulders. As he pulled at them, the fastenings easily fell away allowing the heft of the armor to fall. Skillfully catching the shoulder piece before it could pierce the young miko once again.

Kagome watched in utter shock as he pulled away the first pieces of his outerwear. _What is he doing?! It’s like he knew what I was thinking!_ She never expected that he’d so easily relax his guard like this. She wondered if he really was letting her help, or if it was all some cat and mouse game, only to end in a bloody mess. She shivered at the thought of being impaled on those acid claws of his. As the final pieces of his armor fell away they were moved aside, and his hand found its place to his thigh again in rest. Seeing his fine silks without the plates of armor and spikes, he seemed somehow more admirable, like a wise father, or some fairy tale prince.

 _I shall go no further_. He had decided, this was more than enough on his part. Not only was he allowing her foolish request so that she might expediently leave him be, he was even speeding along the process. If the wench should wish to impose further, she would have to make the effort. It was not as though he enjoyed her meddling, as it irritated him to no end. Yet she was not the worst company to have had. He thought of Jaken sprawled out in a puddle by the fire, surely he would not be allowed the same kind of treatment the miko had given he or Rin. Useless. He stifled a displeased noise at the thought of her efforts being wasted on the likes of him. However he knew it was unlikely that these, acts of kindness, as they were, were solely reserved for this moment. It was likely this girl would give the shirt off of her back to a stranger, only to bear the elements herself. Treatment that without a doubt extended to that half-breed. Stifling another breathy growl, he wondered how the runt could take so much from the woman he claims to have affections for, and yet would leave her unattended in a tempest such as this. _How odd, to pity such a lowly creature_. He would not call this pity the same as for his ward, yet he would not say it to be too dissimilar.

After his hand fell against his hakama, Kagome only took a minute to stare in confusion at this intimidating brute. She was relieved his armor was out of the way, but his layers still needed to go, at least his outer coats would need to be dried by the fire. She wondered how to lay them so that they wouldn’t get so dirty, honestly she really did wish for a drying rack right about now. She watched his chest rise and fall, prompting a bead of water to roll down his neck. A chill rose up her spine in the strangest of feelings, which she told herself must be the cold because in that moment she wasn’t afraid.  
  
“Sesshomaru.” She stayed in her place beside him unmoving as his eyes studied her features. “We need to dry your clothes, or you won’t be able to get warm…” His eyes darted to her jugular when she spoke, causing her voice to trail off as an attempt to avoid provoking an attack of opportunity.

“What do you seek to gain from these assaults, miko. If your aim is to disgrace this one, you will not find a peaceful ending.” A husky growl threatened through his words. However instead of fear or shame the girl replied with genuine shock at the prospect.

“Disgrace you?! What the heck makes you think I’d want to do that? I’m only trying to help you ya’ creep!” Her temper sparked up and showed in her actions. _Who does this guy think he is, the King of Egypt or something?!_ She huffed, and puffed a gust of air through her bangs.

His eyes widened a bit in reaction to her outrage. _How strange, it seems she is merely a worrisome fool_. He had expected some show of remorse or guilt; however shock was in its stead. She felt no shame, for in her mind she had done nothing unbecoming, and likely had no intentions of doing so. _Curious_. He narrowed his eyes on her, remaining utterly motionless.

“You waste your time girl. I have no need of your help.” A rumbling from within his chest laced his words with animalistic warning. Had she been the helpless rabbit he seemed to see her as, she might have taken this opportunity to turn tail and run; however she was not helpless, and she would not cower to his callous behavior. She huffed quietly as she grasped the sleeve of his silken coat, in a display of stubborn determination. He tensed at this letting out a barely audible growl before she could spout off again.

“Even if you say that it won’t change a thing! Sitting in soaking clothes so far from warmth and shelter- you might as well be laying in a puddle out there!” She swung her free hand, in a much too sudden motion, to point at the raging storm. His brow furrowed as she did so, a hint of teeth showing as his upper lip flinched in response.

In a sudden flash, lighting crashed against the ground in a fit of rage just outside, as the light distorted and broke into the cavern, a bone chilling snarl ripped through the air. She shrieked in reply, more so to the storm than to his twisted display. The light that flashed behind him had hidden most of his features as a shadow cast between them. For a split second she could have sworn he’d raised his hackles at her in hostility, before the terrible noise caused her to squeeze her eyes closed. However, after a moment slipped by she felt the fabric she’d gripped in her fingers so tightly, slack a bit.

Slowly, the girls eyes began to open in a tentative manner. The ethereal being before her had shifted, his features relaxing to a more accommodating, appearance. His eyes slipped from her slowly to stare again at the rain. _What? Is he… sorry?_ After such an aggressive show, it was surprising that he’d changed his tune so quickly. She studied his posture for a moment, still uncertain of progressing after the previous experience. As she did, her body still tensed from before, began to relax when she found him dropping his shoulders to allow the chilled fabric to fall away more. When she looked up to meet his face she found his magenta lids drooping in a slow blink. As if to give his approval, and bid her to continue in her task. It wasn’t an apology, it wasn’t entirely submission, but it was as good as it would get. She could see his pale skin peaking from his collar, his neck fully exposed from the slacking of his shoulders. He’d given her a rare show of vulnerability, and it was not to be taken lightly. His cooperation soothed her nerves as the tension in her muscles seemed to drain into the ground below. Knowing this would not last for long she took a breath, and rose to her knees to reach his chest. She knew she’d have to finish this quickly before he startled again and changed his mind.

“Okay…” Her voice breathed out inhumanly quiet, as she stretched her fingers to meet the part in his robes. He was tall, much taller than Kagome. Even now as they sat like this she had to stretch across his body to have any chance of reaching him. She felt a shiver run across her skin. After all of the battles and danger she’d faced, this was probably the closest she’d been to death itself. The thought of his power and strength was honestly pretty scary. Countless times she’d seen him obliterate his enemies in battle, even tossing aside Inuyasha like he was no more of a worthy opponent than Myoga the flea.

Despite this, something about his posture, and gentle features in this moment seemed to sooth any fear she should feel as she was practically walking into the beast’s jaws. Her lean fingers snuck between the draped silk to grasp a handful of it. When he remained still and relaxed, she felt herself do the same. The tension was practically gone as she pulled away his outer coat. She had to reach around his looming body to pull his sleeves away from his arms. As she did the soaking fur that draped over his right shoulder followed, meeting the stone floor in a much smoother way than she thought possible for the heavy mound. To her surprise, she found his limbs responded to slide seamlessly from their lavish sheaths of woven silk. His right arm had moved almost imperceptibly, and the fabric on the left simply slipped away from his shoulder as it fell through the dead air. And just like that his haori was loosely falling to the floor, pooling around him under a thin sheet of silver hair.

The appearance of utter perfection surprised her, it didn’t seem possible to her that he could maintain such a regal exterior with his clothing so disheveled; but he did. His skin was fair, and seemed to reflect the dim light of the fire as the still surface of a pond might reflect the gentle rays of the sun. His hair poured down around him like a sheer veil of moonbeams, each strand seeming to fall into its proper place without any effort of his own. His crisp golden eyes seemed still and calm, as she worked around him. Her hands fell again to the motionless pool of fabric draped around him, in an effort to pull it away from him. As she pulled at the fabric she felt a snag, only to realize it had been caught somewhere. Puzzled she leaned from side to side trying to locate the hitch. She felt an embarrassed heat wash over her cheeks when she understood the problem. His haori had been tucked securely into his hakama, further fastened by the extravagant blue and yellow silk that adorned his hips. She tugged one more time in an attempt to simply pull loose the snagged garment, but to her dismay it was immovable. As she childishly fumbled with her hands, she suddenly noticed the amused smile that graced his lips. Her face burned with embarrassment, feeling as though he was poking fun at her inexperience. This only caused her blunders to increase as she fell into a flustered panic to just get this over with.

Her tugging at his clothing did nothing to help her cause, but he admitted inwardly that it was a nice source of amusement for the time being. _Such a foolish girl_. He allowed a smile as he mused to himself. Her amateur attempts at undressing a man proved to be most humorous. Some part of him had expected her to be more experienced in this field, though he did not know why. Perhaps it was the way she so often clung to his fool of a half-brother that led him to assume they’d coupled before. Curiosity getting the better of the demon, he took in a long slow sniff to appraise her further. A crisp light scent flooded his nose, not unlike freshly laundered linens, accompanied by the gentle smell of spring that she carried with her. Although he could just barely detect the hint of his hanyou brother, he was surprised to find that she’d been clean of any true scent markings. She was untouched. Something about the discovery stirred an oddly satisfying sensation that danced through his body. Perhaps it was the knowledge that his weakling of a brother was more pup than man, or perhaps it was the comfort of not having to endure his stench. Before he could isolate the cause of this unusual reaction he felt the miko’s efforts shift from their initial target. He glanced down to find her tentative fingers meddling with his silken bindings, reviving his interest in her strange attempt at assistance. However he would allow this, as her fearful reaction to his previous reprimands did nothing but cause a peculiar sense of compunction in him. Upon closer inspection he could see the redness spreading over her face, and the trembling of her clumsy hands; more amusing still.

“Ha!” She gasped and felt a surge of pride as she’d deciphered the puzzle that was ancient men’s attire. The brightly colored ribbon fell slack as she easily pulled it away from the daiyokai’s body. She noted that it had been much longer than she’d thought, as she began to ravel it neatly around itself. She’d breathed a sigh of relief, to find his haori beginning to pull free of its snare. At this point all of his outer layers that she could bring herself to remove had been successfully confiscated. She beamed a bit in pride as she set her winnings aside for now. She’d set them by the fire to dry after she had made sure he was no longer in as much danger of freezing. Although it was unfortunate that she couldn’t get him to cooperate further, she knew she couldn’t bring herself to press the matter. She also knew she might die of embarrassment if she’d stripped him anymore. As things were now, she could clearly see the outlines of his form through the damp white juban. The pink returned to her cheeks, when she found she’d been staring at the peaks and valleys that hinted to the impressive elegance of his virile body, for much longer than an appropriate length of time. In hopes that he’d not noticed, she found herself quietly peaking up to gauge his reaction. Cold fear followed by white hot humiliation washed over her when she found his eyes locked onto hers. _He knows! He knows and he probably thinks you’re a total creep!_ Snapping her head to the side, she abruptly leaned away to take a much needed gulp of air. Feigning ignorance to the obvious intrusion on her part, she thought it was best to pretend the whole thing hadn’t happened.

The young lady shook her head, in an attempt to push away any lingering feelings of discomfort. Gathering the plush towel again into her hands she set out to finish what she’d started. Lifting her eyes she motioned to him with the towel, if only to alert him that she would be continuing on. When he merely lifted a slender brow at her, she smiled back at him. His less aggressive reactions were favorable and lead her to continue; whether that was his intention or not, she didn’t much care.

 _At least he’s warmer now_. Her hands spread through his hair gently pulling it through the towel to dry. The smooth sensation on her fingers was chilling, only leading her to believe in her initial concern. He claimed to be fine, but when she felt the damp cold air pressing in from the wind, or the sheer chill of his ghostly hair she knew better. Demon or not, he was probably just as cold as she’d been before. If he was anything like Inuyasha he’d have a cold for sure by now, but then again, the hanyou was also half human. The thought of her companions who’d still not returned pulled her attention to the violent storm outside.

“Miko.” An eerily smooth voice broke through the silence. The girl turned to follow the sound, finding amber eyes on hers. More confused than anything she cleared her throat and pulled a smile.

“Ah- yes?” Putting her worries aside for now, her hands worked away again at his hair while she waited. It wasn’t all that often that the daiyokai would be the first to speak up, and after how he’d barked at her before about talking too much, she wasn’t exactly Chatty-Cathy.

“Why do you waste your breath for that half-breed, when he couldn’t be bothered with your protection?” He scanned her face smoothly as he spoke. Her eyes opened wide in surprise, before she let them fall again to his damp hair laid out across her lap. The sight of which was quite foreign, yet he did not dislike it with such great intensity as he could have imagined.

“That’s because…” Curling her fingers in the tresses she sighed. “Things aren’t always as black and white as they seem. If we only stopped to worry about the things we stand to gain, we might never appreciate what we have to lose.” The tender smile on her lips didn’t waver as she rose to meet his eyes.

Only slight confusion was what he’d felt at her response. Did she not see how foolish it was to linger beside something that lent her no real aid? Surely his absence in such dangerous situations meant she stood to gain nothing from the wretch.

“Besides!” She sat up puffing her chest. “If it weren’t for that same feeling, I’m not sure where Rin might be right now,” His brows rose at the mention of the tiny girl he traveled with. “And a certain drippy demon might be out in the cold!” She laughed freely as she pushed the dry sections of hair over his shoulder to work at the back.

He had been caught off guard by her suggestion. Looking past her to watch over Rin’s restful face, he felt conflicted between a quiet rage, and something difficult to comprehend. Rage at how the miko had compared the relationship he shared with Rin, to anything remotely relating to his brother. However, what pulled at his attention more were her previous remarks. It was true that he cared for Rin deeply; he’d been compelled to save her time and time again. However, the thought that she might be a hindrance to him, or that he gained nothing from her company was false. He gained patience, meaning, and a lifetime of loyalty. To see her joyful face had always soothed him. Rin was as much family to him now as flesh and blood, human though she might be.  
  
As if a light had shown on the shadows of his mind, he was reminded of his father. His eyes fell again to the priestess as she rested against his left shoulder to reach across his back. This girl was a frail, weak human with foolish thoughts and misplaced compassion. Yet, he would not deny that she had a selfless heart, and strength in the face of danger that he respected. Many times in the past her selfless heart had been there for Rin, tonight she had risked herself to protect something that no other before him had. Although, he thought her bravery often lead her into danger, as it did now. As her slender fingers danced through his hair, her throat mere inches from his lips; he knew how easy it would be to end her life. It wouldn’t take more than a moment, a single instant, and her mortal life would cease to exist. A cool sensation washed over his skin at the thought.

[***]

“Foolish girl…” He scoffed turning his face to the rain.

"W-What?" At the sudden sound of his voice, and the harshness to his tone she leaned back swiftly to see his face.

His eyes slid back to look at her with a cold sickening slowness to them that made her skin crawl. It was like staring into the eyes of a great dragon who you had rudely awoken from his sealed slumber. Which strangely enough, was an experience she knew all too well. But more than that, there was something else, something deeper that she couldn't quite grasp.

“It will not be the rage of battle, or the grasps of old age that tear you from this world, but your misplaced kindness. Your fleeting mortality, and the evils of this world will always outweigh that pathetic sentiment. Do not forget that miko.”

Not only the tone this time, but the words themselves were jarring. She felt a pang of hurt somewhere inside her chest, but quickly snuffed it out. She had no reason to feel betrayed, and she wouldn't let those feelings fester. She had to be strong, and she couldn't let things like doubt and sorrow infect her spirit, as painful as they may be. She thought of the priestesses before her, how each of them had been burdened by the duty of a miko, and how it always lead them to a terrible fate.

It was her duty, as the miko of the Shikon No Tama to gather the shards, and purify them to one day make the jewel whole again, restoring the world to it's proper place. Through what ever pain she may feel, her heart would need to remain strong to complete this journey she'd begun.

To his surprise her mouth had twisted into a somehow painfully gentle smile. A frustrating dryness caught in his throat in an untimely coincidence.

“You’re wrong.” Her voice was calm and unnaturally steady as her eyes rose to meet him. In that moment her pained chocolate eyes burned into his memory. “Kindness can’t be misplaced, Sesshomaru.” She rose to stand, and shuffle toward him. Instinctively he growled as she approached, only to find her unwavering persistence. She knelt beside him to gather his clothes carefully before turning away from him. “You should come to sit by the fire soon. Otherwise you’ll catch cold.” Her voice was such a hushed whisper that his ears strained to hear it.

With that she was gone from him, making her way to the fire to spread his robe with care. Even after his unpleasant words, she still treated him with that sickeningly sweet kindness she had shown him before. His eyes followed her silently for the next hour as she unsaddled Ah-Un, draped a cloth over Jakens sleeping form, tended the fire, and checked Rin’s temperature. The sight of her gentle hands soothing Rin’s discomfort turned his stomach in knots, for what reason he was not certain. He knew the feeling well, but could not find any reason to its presence. He did not have any reason to regret his actions. With any luck the girl would learn a lesson tonight, and he would have lengthened her life considerably. However, his logical reasoning did little to alleviate the unwelcome guilt. Long after the girl had lain down to rest he stared at her back with an unshifting discomfort. The scent of her still lingered in the air, he realized when he’d unconsciously inhaled in search of its soothing properties. This girl had yet again proved to be more trouble than such a simple miko should ever be.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
{Editors Notes:]}

So for those of you who don't want to spoil a perfectly decent story with terrible writing, feel free to stop reading these notes and do not bother yourself with the writing below. However for those of you who read and understood the authors notes at the start of the chapter, and are unfazed by the promise of a writing disaster, enjoy by highlighting the following lines to your hearts content.... And hope that you do not regret such a foolish decision.

[***]

Staring over the length of her outstretched throat stirred a strange excitement in him. The scent of her hung in the air, and mixed with the smell of rain while her body pressed to his. The sound of her steady pulse seemed to almost quell the sudden urge that had grown inside of him, without any indication of why. However that same beast that purred at her sweetness, also ached to hear her heart pounding.

Kagome reached but failed to grasp the final section of hair that teased her just out of range. Realizing she’d have to move to reach it, she pushed off from his shoulder gently to re-position herself. When she knelt in front of him she noticed his luminescent eyes stalking her every move. Slowly she reached out the towel to him again, as she’d done before to prepare him for the touch. Burning amber eyes followed, the intensity seemed to scorch her spirit, and send heat across her body. Unsure of his sudden change she shook away the feeling to reach again for his locks. Despite his hostile appearance he remained still, which calmed any warnings that might have fired in her brain.

He was not sure why the girl had been so concerned for him, or why she did not flee from the obvious danger; but she had unknowingly stumbled into a game of chase. His eyes had locked onto hers; issuing a challenge the miko may not have even known she participated in. Knowingly or not, her eyes didn’t stray as she leaned toward him. A low rumble rolled from his chest as she approached. He could feel the tension building in his muscles, the near excitement at her daring behavior. By not averting from his gaze she had challenged his dominance over her, and although prior to this moment he had no claim over her as her alpha, he suddenly felt the overwhelming compulsion to teach her submission. The instant her delicate fingers made contact with his body it was over.

Kagome was stunned by the sudden force, as she was violently wrenched through the air. Before she could blink, she’d been stretched up across his lap with her hands uselessly clutching at his hakama to keep from falling; although she realized it impossible as she was crushed to his chest. A hair raising snarl rang through her ear with a deafening force, as the sheer pressure of his youkai seemed to crush her body into paralysis. His right hand was grasping a thick handful of her hair as his wrist and forearm held her aloft against his broad chest. It was his hot breath pouring over her helpless neck, and the demonic growl splitting through the air that set her blood to pump at high speed. His powerful aura lent her little action but to simply brace herself for impact.

Hearing her blood rushing in fear sent a pleasant thrill through his beast, prompting a guttural snarl to fill the narrow space between her tender flesh and his sharp fangs. Although her fear delighted his senses, it felt incomplete. He hadn’t gained her full submission, he had merely roused her alert, and his beast would not be satisfied. In a sudden need to elicit a more titillating response his teeth scraped against the soft pink skin of her throat. The gasp that leapt from her landed on his sensitive ears. Her lips were close enough to his left ear, that if he’d leaned into it he could feel her skin against his. The smell of spring flowers, and pure refreshing rivers filled his mind, suddenly causing him to feel a needy thirst for those cool waters. His tongue darted out from behind sharp teeth to drag across her raised flesh. Doing so caused a wave of stimulation he could barely process as it crashed over him. Her skin was so smooth to the touch it was nearly indescribable, almost encouraging another taste. The flavor of her was sweet and savory, something foreign yet undeniably delectable, he delighted at the tiny shocks that teased his tongue as it slicked across her sacred body. The sounds of whimpering gasps she made caused his chest to rumble once again; but perhaps best of all was the scent. Her usually subtle, clean fragrance was laced with something totally new. An overpowering aroma entirely unique in itself leaked from her every pore, something completely staggering yet extremely addictive. The desire to breath in more of that bouquet, to take in more of these stimulating responses was nearly overpowering. As if to test how much more enjoyable he could shape her responses to be, he teased at her again. Giving a firm tug of her hair he crushed his nose against the arched flesh that was exposed along her jugular. As she let out another husky sound he huffed in her intoxicating perfume. The strained tone of her voice now played with his mind sending thick pulses of heat to his core. Fearful whimpers had turned to something much different, the melodious whine was unmistakable to any who would have heard it. All at once it hit him, the sounds, scents, and even the touch of her had become erotic. His goal, so he had thought, had been to frighten her into obedience; but a roaring excitement at the core of his being told him this was much more entertaining. To think of such a kind hearted soul that had been so easily coerced to such temptations was laughable. In her lustful daze she had not even noticed the recession of his demonic aura which had immobilized her. Despite its absence she remained motionlessly clinging to him, as if for dear life.

“S-Sesshomaru..” She breathed into his ear in an unknowing seduction. Despite the chill that raced down his spine at the sound, he released an arrogant chuckle.

“Foolish girl…” His grip relinquished her inky black locks only to catch hold of her slender pink neck. In a swift motion he yanked her body away from him to stare into her eyes coldly. “It will not be the rage of battle, or the grasps of old age that tear you from this world, but your misplaced kindness. Your fleeting mortality, and the evils of this world will always outweigh that pathetic sentiment. Do not forget this miko.” In a swift jerking action he tossed her aside allowing her tired body to fall to the ground with little more than a quiet sound of shifting fabrics.

Time seemed to drag on as Kagome rose from the ground to stabilize herself again to sit up. Her thick black bangs fell over her face to hide any emotion that may be hiding there. However, to his surprise her mouth had twisted into a somehow painfully gentle smile. A frustrating dryness caught in his throat in an untimely coincidence.

“You’re wrong.” Her voice was calm and unnaturally steady as her eyes rose to meet him. A sharp pulse broke over his skin as her pained chocolate eyes burned into his mind. “Kindness can’t be misplaced, Sesshomaru.” She rose to stand, and shuffle toward him. Instinctively he snarled as she approached, only to find her unwavering persistence.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, so it's been a lot longer than a week... Sorry about that guys. I know this upload is a short one, only about a page or so, but it took a lot of mulling over to lead into the next scene. Please enjoy this short passage, as I'll be uploading again shortly. The next chapter is all set to go up, and just needs some editing. I look forward to your feedback in the comment section, let me know what works, what doesn't and what your favorite scenes so far have been!

A heavy chill racked her body as she tried in vain to still her persistent shakes. Rain beat down heavily against her numbing skin, the raucous of the storm overpowering any sound that might have been in the valley bellow. A sense of hopelessness ached deep in her bones where the chill sat, slowly but surely swallowing up her determination to move forward.  
  
“Sango!” Despite Miroku's voice being a hearty shout, to her ears it registered as little more than a whisper against the wind. “We cannot continue in this typhoon!” A pang of doubt, and concern ran through her as she heard this. Inuyasha had run ahead on his own, without his friends at his side to steady his reckless ways, who knew what he might get himself into.  
  
“But Inuyasha-”  
  
“Is half youkai!” Miroku cut her words before she could argue. “He has the energy, and fortitude to go on much longer! Our bodies cannot take this abuse!” His hands tightened firmly on her hips. “We must seek shelter!”  
  
Sango tensed with concern, and felt a shiver shoot through her body. Not unlike the sort of spasm the body goes through in order to keep itself from falling unconscious. The understanding was not lost on her. They were already in jeopardy of falling ill, another hour in these conditions could likely be the point of no return. Despite her best judgment, concern still pulled at her conscience . “Miroku, I understand that but-”  
  
“Sango!” He pulled her hips back firmly, shocking her and the sodden fire cat below. “We must seek shelter now, or we will surely perish!” He wrapped his arms tightly around her frame, as he pushed his chin over her shoulder. “When the morning comes, and the storm has passed we will regroup with the others!” Out of the corner of her eye she could see his tight frown shift into the more jovial smirk she'd recognized. “Besides, Kagome would never forgive me if you were to fall ill under my watch!”  
  
Sango felt her muscles slacking a bit, making the uncontrolled shivers more obvious. She knew he was right, and as much as she hated to admit it, it was time to put the hunt to rest for the night. She leaned forward tightening her grip on the damp fur between her fingers. “Kirara! Head east to the mountainside!”  
  
An uproarious mewl replied as the firecat's body seemed to twist against the air, almost as if pushing off solid ground as she redirected. The rain was heavy, and formed a dark blanket obscuring all but the few feet in front of her human riders eyes. However Kirara was not human, and as a result her vision, although greatly hindered, still allowed her sight to reach nearly a quarter mile in the rain. She curved, and swooped closer to the mountain side as she was instructed, eager to be out of the damp.  
  
As the mountain grew near enough they could almost make out the cliff face, Miroku spotted a patch of darkness to the northwest of their location. “There, Sango!” He pointed his staff towards the large scar in the craggy rock face. He hoped it would provide some kind of shelter, and not simply be a shadow in the dark.  
  
“Kirara, take us down!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's just hope Inuyasha has the same sense of self preservation, or we could be looking at a very sick dog!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here we are, back at it again this week with another post. This one should be more fulfilling than the last.. At least that's my hope anyway! I spent a good deal of time on this chapter to give Kagome some "screen" time, and get a better look at how her character has developed over her time in the Sengoku period. As always, I hope you enjoy, and I look forward to any feedback (positive and negative are both appreciated) in the comment section!

 

Dim light danced over tired lids as warmth ebbed softly against her cheeks; the stark contrast to the stone floor beneath sent a shiver up her aching frame. In a lazing half motion, her eyes shifted to glimpse at the swaying tendrils of flames rising from newly caught wood. _How strange, I wonder where that wood came from_. As if suddenly remembering her child patient, her eyes sleepily followed the line of blanket that marked out the girl’s location. Rin's face was turned away to nestle tightly into a long winding fur that she’d seemingly tangled herself in.

Following the trail of fur, and messy black hair, Kagome’s eyes settled on the girl’s dainty fingers curling sweetly into endless silver threads. In the dazed stupor of sleep her eyes trailed sluggishly up a waterfall of flowing silver, and billowing white fur.

In one sudden sobering moment, her eyes popped open wide, the shock causing her to blink. Once, twice, and then a third time to be certain it was indeed reality, and not some bizarre dream. The distinct markings that framed his face, and cold citrine gaze that met her were undeniable. It was without a doubt the lord himself; she was half shocked at herself for not realizing immediately.  
  
The heat in her cheeks peaked when she glanced again over the scene in its entirety. _Lord Sesshomaru, The Killing Perfection, Aristocratic Assassin, Loving Father, Bundle of Fluff_. She snapped her eyes back to the fire, immediately aware of the embarrassing position. She knew he’d been caring for Rin, knew he’d all but adopted the girl; but she’d never imagined him to show any semblance of affection, or gentleness. It was altogether unsettling, as shockingly gentle as he may be with Rin, he was still a cold blooded killer. _There’s no way he’ll let me walk out of here after seeing something like that!_

She'd layed with her eyes clenched shut mulling over the possibility of her own demise when reality slowly began to creep back into her body. Her limbs felt heavy with ache, and her head throbbed against the stone floor. In an attempt to take a calming breath, she could feel the hoarseness of her throat like grating blades against the delicate inner flesh. She sat up with a sudden cough, and covered her mouth stifling any more sound from escaping apart from quiet splutters. As uncomfortable as she may have been, this was no time to let herself think on it, there were things to be done.

Kagome turned to her bulging yellow bag, careful not to wake the fox kit who'd snuggled himself into her blankets the night before. Digging around it's contents she quickly withdrew a small metal pot she'd brought with her from the future. Her mother had convinced some time ago to bring it along. At first she was reluctant to give up the precious space, but it made tasks like prepping food, and safe drinking water a breeze. Admittedly it came in handy more often than she expected, and so it wasn't long before it became a permanent fixture.

Standing shakily on legs she hadn't expected to be quite so weak, she headed to the mouth of the cave. She wasn't surprised to see the rain falling outside, but she was torn between sorrow, and relief to see that the storm from the night before continued to shroud the sky in darkness and gloom. Pulling her long white sleeve back to her elbow she placed the sauce pan into the falling rain. As she did she briefly skimmed her eyes across the cuts and bruises smattering her fingers from the night before. They weren't comfortable by any means, but she'd had worse injuries by far, and chose to ignore the dull pain of them.

When the pot was full enough she brought it in from the rain and headed back toward her strange company. The demon lord hadn't withdrawn entirely from his spot beside his ward, however he had moved a foot or so away taking his silken hair with him. More interestingly, she noticed as she settled down beside Rin to place the pot into the hot coals at the edge of the fire, he had left a large white fur wrapped around the girl. She seemed more at ease snuggled into the fluff than she had the night before. Thinking back on the nights events, it dawned on her that the fur had been completely drenched along with the lord himself. Looking up to see him once again, she realized he was dry as can be without a hair out of place. She thought of her own appearance, and absent mindedly reached for her hair. Of course it had been a horrible mess, sleeping on wet hair had never gone well in the past, and she hadn't expected anything good this time either.

Ruffling her hand through it a bit to smooth out what knots she was able to, she turned her attention again to Rin. Her face was relaxed in sleep but her skin was paler than usual. As kagome reached to feel her forehead she heard a quiet growl rumble her way as the fire popped. She looked up to see Sesshomaru's cold glare as she sighed letting her hand hang in the air.

"I need to check her temperature in order to assess her condition." She spoke in a soft whisper to allow the children their rest, Rin most of all.

His glare slid to her hand still hanging near his ward. The miko wasn't sure if he was allowing her to continue, or deliberating whether he wished to take her hand off or not. However it didn't much matter, as she needed to continue, despite his interference. She reached out further letting the backside of her hand settle gently against her patient's forehead. After a moment she lifted her other hand to mirror the action on her own forehead. The little girls skin was definitely warmer than it should be but was slick with cooling sweat that disguised it for some seconds. On the other hand, her own forehead was hard to read, it felt as though it matched the temperature of her hand, but there was a strange disassociation with the touch. Brushing it off she let her hand lift from the girl in order to reach again for her yellow bag.

Kagome shuffled through the overstuffed bag to pull out two clean wash clothes, and a bowl to carry them in. As she returned her attention to the fire she pulled the steel pot from the coals. After a few minutes in the fiery embrace the pot was extremely hot, steam rose in a spiraling cloud as the lid was removed. She lifted one washcloth from the bowl and began to pour some of the scalding liquid evenly into the basin.  
  
Returning the pot to the fire, and laying the dry cloth over the bowl she turned again to her strange bag. Pulling a handful of clear plastic bags from it, stuffed with dry herbs she sorted them out on the white surface of fur in order to clearly identify each. Despite their labels she was always careful to make certain every herb she used was the herb she'd intended.

Pulling five herbs from their bags in varying proportions, she took the pot from the fire and tossed them in, replacing the lid and letting the pot rest on the stone floor to steep. With an unconscious sigh she returned the extra bags to their pockets, and withdrew four sculpted cups wrapped in muslin, choosing to leave the fifth cup and matching saucer secure in the backpack. As she placed each cup on the stone floor she thought of her friends. She'd made the set in a remedial art course she'd taken that year. Having focused on her core studies she completely let it slip and flunked the course in her prior year. However she was happy to use that time for peace and quiet, as well as to make a hand crafted tea set for her friends to enjoy together. Although Inuyasha always refused, there was even a cup for him. Kirara of course would receive her own saucer with her own special tea which she always mewled happily to accept.

Thinking on her friends made a heaviness sink into her chest as she stared at the colorfully glazed ceramics. She hoped they were alright, but despite her concern she couldn't help feeling a bit of guilty relief. After the events of the night she was glad that they had not returned with the hanyou to find her current company. The storm was wild, and ripped through trees like a hellish beast intent on destruction. Such a fate she hoped was not meant for her closest friends. Sango and Miroku in particular, they were strong, and fierce fighters, but they were still just human. Without proper shelter and warmth they'd likely be worse off than Rin was now.

As another unconscious breath slipped from her lips she began straining, and filling the containers with a murky, yet pleasantly scented liquid. Reaching past the bundles on the floor she placed the drink first in front of the daiyoukai, and pushed it closer to him as she backed away again to distribute the rest.

He simply stared down into the steaming cup suspiciously before eyeing her as she moved around the room. She set a cup in front of the young fox and pet his hair back softly, whispering sweetly to him as he woke. She then walked around the fire where Jaken lay sprawled in the undignified position he'd been plopped in the night before. She rested her battered hand on his back and rubbed as she settled the drink beside him. She didn't respond much when he squaked at her touch, simply walking back towards her kin. Along the way she pat the heads of Ah, and Un whispering to them sadly about something foolish.

When she was finally able to sit again her tea had begun to cool, luckily the ceramic held enough heat to sooth her hands, and warm her belly. Yet again, she hadn't had but two sips of it before working back towards Rin.  
  
She took the steamed cloth that covered the bowl and draped it over the side of her cook pot. Ringing out the second cloth she folded it smoothly, and layed it across the young girls pale forehead. Responding to the damp heat the child scrunched her face and curled into the fur, mumbling in her sleep.

Kagome had done this countless times before. Caring for the ill and infirm had become second nature after their travels in these troubled times. As often as she was able to, she would help those in need. Human, youkai, bandit, monk, it didn't matter who or what they were, every soul was worth saving. It often took it's toll on her in one way or another, whether it be in betrayal or the loss of an unwinnable battle to an incurable illness. The miko was sure this time that would not be the case. Although it was common in this era for people to die from the common cold, especially the elderly and children, with proper care there would be no cause for concern.

She took up the cloth that had been soaking in tea from the pot, and folded it to expose the most damp corner, allowing it to drip over Rins mouth. At first she flinched, but after a moment her chapped lips began to move as the droplets disappeared. As more drips came, they all seemed to withdraw into her tiny mouth until Kagome pulled aside the furs to nestle the cloth into the girls tiny hand and guide it to her face. She watched as the girl began to suckle on the cloth and take in the warm tea. It was a good sign to see a response to simple treatments , and an appetite for anything. She pushed aside damp bangs and looked over the little girl one last time before feeling a calming relief. She knelt washing her hands in the bowl of hot water before setting it aside.

Returning to her position she began to look around the room, finding the silence to be so bizarre. Most of the others in the room with her had been staring for quite some time in anticipation as she worked. Jaken was layed out on the floor in a new disgraceful position as it seems his lord had disproved of some behavior she'd missed in her focus. Ah-Un, and the lord in question stared now, their focus entirely on the small girl soaking up tea, and Shippo had finished his own cup and was looking up at her with big round eyes.

"Is she gonna be alright?" His tiny voice chirped up with a nervousness to it that she hadn't quite recognized. Reaching out she ran her fingers through his hair softly and smiled.

"I'm sure she'll be better before you know it!" She rubbed his back reassuringly and turned her attention back to her now cooling tea.

The relief of seeing the improvements aside, her body began to feel heavier by the moment as she sipped back her tea. It was as if she hadn't gotten enough sleep the night before. Turning her head to look back at the gloomy scene outside she wondered passively if the lack of sun was to blame for her heavy eyelids.

 


End file.
